KUCHING: Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party (Aspirasi) has commended Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah for bravely acknowledging Sarawak younger generations’ grievances and short-changes by the Federal government, while urging him to stand up and lead the younger generation into a better future.
Its president Lina Soo said the minister needs to lead young aspiring Sarawakians into an independent nation where it can be a glorious and prosperous country again.
She was responding to Abdul Karim’s recent remarks that if equality was not properly addressed, Sarawakian and Sabahan younger generations might question why they should be in the grand coalition.
“Abdul Karim’s view of the sentiments of many young Sarawakians today in respect to Sarawak’s political future is a breath of fresh air, and shows that he is a bold leader possessing great foresight, with his finger on the pulse of Sarawak youths and grassroots.
“Indeed, after 58 years of federalism, Sarawakians are questioning the benefits of federalism when the resource-rich nation becomes the poorest state with its political rights and petroleum resources stripped to the core, in serving the interests of the federal government separated from Sarawak by thousands of miles of international waters.
“Abdul Karim’s remarks (when referring to the younger generation’s views on), ‘Why should we be in this grand coalition?’ already speaks volumes and is self-explanatory,” she said.
“On Sarawak oil and gas benefits where he mentioned that five percent is not enough and too small, and Sarawak deserves 20 percent oil royalty, I suggest that Abdul Karim think out of the box.
“Sarawak just needs to raise the five percent of its State Sales Tax (SST) on Sarawak petroleum to 20 percent to achieve a similar result whilst waiting till the cows come home for the royalty.
“There is nothing to stop Sarawak from even raising the sales tax to 38 percent as the federal government imposes 38 percent Petroleum Sales Tax (Pita) on Petronas, so the solution is just staring at you in the face simply by raising the SST for now,” she said.
Commenting on the unusable ventilators that were sent to Sarawak hospitals by the federal government, she said it was totally irresponsible and unacceptable.
“As if Sarawakian lives are so cheap and worthless. No citizen on this earth who has been denied his rightful place under the sun would wish to continue the existence of a state of affairs where a community is discriminated, dominated and exploited in an inequitable society,” commented Soo.
